The March of Organic Wine

The “Wine Planete” column of the April 2015 edition of The Revue du Vin de France (the Wine review of France) contained a piece called “The Long March of organic wine."

  

The production of organic wine in France has more than doubled in 7 years.

Just to be clear on the terminology here, organic (or “Bio” as it is called in France) refers to wines made with no chemical fertilisers or artificial pesticides and herbicides. Organic production has to be certified and there are several authorities that can certify a producer as complying with organic production. Biodynamic refers to additional steps taken by the producers who follow the methods of Rudolf Stein (burying a cows horn, producing according to the lunar cycle etc.) In this way biodynamic production is a subset of organic production.  We have previously blogged about the topic.

In 2014 only 8% of production was organic, but nevertheless a doubling in 7 years from a miniscule base .  If we include vineyards that are converting to organic production (and not yet earnt their certification) the area under organic production continues to grow rapidly. In comparison only a tiny proportion of vineyards in Australia follow organic production methods.

There is no sign of this trend slowing.  For example in Champagne up until recently, there were practically no organic producers. In 2014 there were 120.  Similarly Bordeaux, in the past had very few producers using organic methods, now Guiraud in Sauternes and Pontet-Canet in Paulliac are 2 well known proponents. Without much publicity the famous Chateau Latour and Chateau Margaux have converted some test plots to biodynamic production. It seems that the long march continues apace.

DiscoverVin stocks wine from a number of producers who are either organic or biodynamic….

Chateau de Saurs (Gaillac)- converted since 2012 vintage

Domaine de l'Ancienne Cure (Bergerac)- converted since 2012 vintage

Chateau Haut Peyrous (Graves)- in conversion

Domaine Bellegarde (Jurancon)-in conversion

Chateau Bouissel (Fronton)-in conversion

Chateau Semeillan Mazeau (Bordeaux/Listrac Medoc)-in conversion

Chateau Moulin Pey-Labrie (Fronsac)- in conversion

Domaine Roche-Audran (Cotes du Rhone)

Our biodynamic producers..

Tour des Gendres (Bergerac)- converted to organic since the 2005 vintage.

Opening Night French Party: Alliance Française Albury-Wodonga French Film Festival

Its on again!

 The Alliance Francaaise French Festival is coming to Albury-Wodonga. 

In previous years the opening night session has sold out . 

The ticket price for the opening session includes nibbles, a glass of French wine plus movie (comedy romance drama Gemma Bovery). 

Plus DiscoverVin will have a pop-up tasting table!  

Be quick see www.regentcinemas.com.au for ticket details.

A French Long Luncheon

We have events coming up thick and fast!

This one is going to be extra special……

In collaboration with Willowbank events and Café Victor we are pleased to be participating in an autumnal French Long Lunch. 

Sheltered by a marquee, Willowbank farm's event space is literally on the banks of the Murray River. 

We will be kept warm by some open fires and enjoy 5 courses of French Classics and matched wines. 

Take an afternoon off and be wined and dined in a stunning pop-up venue.

Call Vicki on 0416 436 966 or email office@willowbankevents.com.au

World Malbec Day celebration at Chophouse Sydney.

Malbec World Day in 2015 is Friday April 17th. To celebrate we will be going to a special Malbec wine tasting in Melbourne called Gauchita Gil , with food, dance and the wines of Argentina, Australia and France!

On the eve of Malbec World Day, Chophouse Sydney is putting on a special Malbec dinner celebrating the wonderful Malbecs of the Cahors region in France.

Malbec has been making a name for itself in recent years, thanks to the wines of Argentina. Many people are surprised to learn this grape variety comes from the Cahors region in south-west France where Malbec has been cultivated for hundreds of years. Argentina is certainly producing some great Malbecs and as a result many people have been looking again at Cahors to benchmark these wines. Cahors is considered an up and coming region in France with a great improvement in quality in recent years and increasing recognition world-wide that some great wines are still being produced there. 

"Cahors is that rarest of all wines: both a rising star and a timeless classic." --The Guardian (UK) April 2013.

5 courses and some wonderful matching wines from Cahors and south-west France for $99 on Thursday April 16 2015.

Call 1300 246 748 for reservations. This dinner was almost booked out at the time of this post. You can read more about the wines of Cahors here.

Our latest product: rosé Champagne from Achille Princier

We are delighted to be selling Achille Princier Grande Tradition non-vintage rosé Champagne.

At the end of 2014 we started the Champagne of this producer. It has been exceptionally well received and we are delighted to have added their rosé Champagne to our range. It has a bit of a "wow" factor. 

Our tasting notes: A splendid deep salmon colour. Has an initial freshness and a broad pallet of red small fruits (strawberries, raspberries) and blackcurrant/cassis. The delicious finish is clean and remarkable in its finesse which brings together this classy and harmonious product.

It was awarded 2 stars in the Guide Hachette putting it up there (or above) the well-known Champgane brands.

It is a good example of what is referred to as "grower" Champagne. In the past, most Champagne grape growers sold their grapes to the big Champagne "houses" or famous brands. Many producers have started to make their own grapes into Champagne. The folks at Wine Folly have written this explanation of grower Champagne. 

Winemaker Maxime Mansard is the fifth generation of winemakers at Achille Princier. This family used to sell grapes to the big Champagne houses but now they make their own.

As a non-vintage Champagne, parcels of grapes are blended with older material to produce consistency of taste and style. 

This wine is produced from 66 different parcels of vines in 10 communes extending across 24 hectares in the Marne Valley near Epernay. This dividing up of the vineyards is a major plus as it allows an "assemblage" of wines. This enables the producer to achieve a balance between freshness and complexity by blending different parcels, and ensuring a consistent but unique style for Champagne Achille Princier.

This champagne is a mixture of 3 varieties: Pinot Noir 50%, Pinot Meunier 15% Chardonnay 20% plus some Coteaux champenois rouge 15% . Coteaux champenois rouge is a red wine made from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes grown within the Champagne region.  It is then blended with the parcels made for other Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay grapes that have been made into Champagne in the usual way. 

The average age of the vines is more than 30 years old (the youngest are 7 years old and the oldest 84!)

This Champagne is made by traditional méthode champenoise. From vineyard management to picking to pressing to bottling, the grapes and resulting wines are looked after meticulously.  Only the first pressings of the grapes are used to ensure finesse for the Champagne and the wines that are keep for future blending. The bottles are rested for many years in traditional underground caves at a constant temperature.




And its a bargain at $65.

To buy click here. Trade customers please email us at info@discovervin.com.au for trade prices. 

Gauchito Gil Malbec World Day

Argentina is famous for some fabulous Malbec wines. But did you know the origin of Malbec wines is the Cahors region in southwest France?
We are gate crashing the Argie's party and showing some French Malbecs on Malbec World Day. 
If you are in Melbourne come and say hello, try some great malbecs from around the world, and eat some empanadas with fellow wine lovers. 

Tickets are only $40 and available at www.gauchitogil.com.au

North East Food and Wine Festival March 14th 2015

DiscoverVin has been invited to participate in the Market Day of the North East Food and Wine Festival.

Saturday, March 14th 10am - 4pm 

Junction Place, corner of Church Street and Elgin Boulevard, Wodonga

Come along and enjoy a relaxing atmosphere and indulge in the region’s fantastic food, wines, ciders and brews plus some international wines from independant producers.

Expect an array of differing cuisines – from Thai and Middle-Eastern to Italian, Spanish and more...Browse the stalls and meet some of the region’s top producers. Enjoy a glass of wine or Champagne. We have the perfect rosé to match a plate of paella and a glass of perfectly balanced french sticky to go with some cheese or patisserie.

With free live entertainment all day, this promises to be great day out for the whole family...

See what the best of the region has to offer you.